


Take me Back

by IfInsanityWasSane



Category: The Last of Us
Genre: F/F, F/M, Pre TLOU2 but post TLOU1, Songfic, Uh why is everything I write so fucking depressing, ellie and Dina still haven’t admitted their feelings for one another, i swear I love ellie, stupid lesbians, what am i even supposed to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:35:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25981447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IfInsanityWasSane/pseuds/IfInsanityWasSane
Summary: It was just patrol. Stupid, good, easy patrol. That’s what it was supposed to be.
Relationships: Dina/Ellie (The Last of Us)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 54





	Take me Back

_**ELLIE**_

It was just patrol. Stupid, good, easy patrol. That’s what it was supposed to be. Until a frightened Shimmer bucked Ellie all the way off to hell. Until that same frightened horse was shot down and slumped on the ground with a lifeless thump. Until the same happened to Japan. Until Dina ushered Ellie to her feet and yelled for her to follow her.

_I am not the only traveler,_

And by god, she tried to. She really tried to fucking run. To escape with Dina, to run hard and heavy until they were both huddled behind a tree, in each others arms as they tried to process the last few moments they had with their beloved horses. Their loyal companions that carried them miles upon miles. But that just wouldn’t work. The hunters would follow. The hunters would follow and they would find Ellie and Dina by the sound of their heavy panting. What use would it be if they were all gone?

_Who has not repaid his debt,_

Maybe that’s why Ellie didn’t run with Dina. Maybe because she knew she could temporarily distract those fucking hunters and Dina could get away. Safely.

_I’ve been searching for a trail to follow again,_

So maybe the thought of Dina being safe and happy and with Jesse and happy is what caused Ellie to duck behind a tall oak tree and hold her pistol out in front of her, aiming her sights on the back of the head of a hunter daring to follow in Dina’s path. And no matter what it cost, Ellie would stop every one of these fuckers from harming Dina. Even if it cost Ellie herself.

_Take me back to the night we met._

She pulled the trigger. This caught the attention of the group. Finally.

She grit her jaw. Maybe this is it for Ellie Williams. And if this was the end, then so fucking be it. She would go down for Dina the moment she was called on.

The group of maybe 4-5 hunters rounded on the tree she took cover behind. They walked slowly, all pistols pointed in the direction of the strong oak.

_And then I can tell myself,_

She took a chance, leaning out one side and blowing the brains of the closest hunter. She didn’t get a good look at his face, but it’s not like that mattered now. It was simply a mixture of blood and brains now.

A shot flew by, narrowly missing Ellie’s head. Fuck. That was too close. She had to at least take out a few more first. To give Dina a chance. A chance to get back to Jackson and tell Maria, Tommy, Joel, and who the fuck ever else what happened and maybe get help.

_What the hell I’m supposed to do,_

She leaned out the other side, taking out two more of those fuckers. They all appeared to be middle-aged, wore ragged clothes that seemed to be ripped enough to be considered rags instead of clothes.

Ellie couldn’t help but wish they could’ve just shown up at the Jackson gates, passively asking for help and a place to stay. Maria had never turned a single man away from the gates. They could’ve gotten help, maybe even become cherished members of the community. And Ellie and Dina could still hide in the comfortable blanket of their unsaid feelings. Maybe Ellie would’ve even gone to the Winter Dance tonight. Maybe she would’ve danced with Dina after she was begrudgingly dragged to the middle of the dance floor.

_And then I can tell myself,_

Or, maybe Ellie could have convinced Dina to stay in tonight and they could’ve watched an old movie from Before. And maybe they would lay in Ellie’s bed, Ellie’s back against the headboard, Dina’s arms wrapped snugly around the taller girl’s waist and her head resting on a strong shoulder. And maybe that same strong, fearless, unrelenting Ellie would blush bright red, unsure of where or where she wasn’t allowed to place her hands. Maybe she would take the chance and place one calloused hand on Dina’s lower back, or her waist. Who knows. How can you miss a moment that hasn’t even happened?

_Not to ride along with you._

**_DINA  
_ **

Why hadn’t she fucking followed? Where the fuck was Ellie? Why does she always have to be the hero?

Questions swarmed her mind as she ran, she fucking ran as fast as she could. Dina could see the gates of Jackson, fast approaching. They have never looked so beautiful.

_I had all and most of you,_

She ran a bit more before she screamed. Screamed for help. Maybe for backup.

“OPEN THE GATE! _OPEN THE FUCKING GATE!”_ Dina screamed with such urgency, that it scared herself and the watchmen.

The gate opened and she sprinted through. And thank the fucking gods above that Joel was on watch duty that day. The strong, familiar man stopped her, putting strong hands on her shoulders.

“Dina. Talk ta me now. You tell me what happened out there. And you tell me where Ellie is!” He said sternly, his thick accent bleeding through.

“Get-..” Dina panted. “Get help. Hunters- they fucking ambushed us. I told Ellie to run, but-.. she didn’t fucking follow me!” She rambled, face red with panic and lungs heaving for air.

_Some and now none of you,_

That’s all it took for Joel to be on his horse in an instant, reaching his hand down to Dina to heft her up behind him. She of course took it, holding his waist tightly as he gave the horse a strong kick and snapped the reigns, sending them off as fast as the horse could go. He yelled orders at the other men to get Tommy and Maria and a group of men to follow them.

_Take me back to the night we met,_

They were at least two miles out when they were ambushed, it would take a few minutes for them to even get to Ellie. Maybe she wouldn’t even be alive by the time they reached her.

_I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,_

_**ELLIE** _

_**  
**_One more hunter down. How many were left? How accurately had she counted them? What if there were more than she thought? What if this was all in vain? She really couldn’t afford to think like that right now.

_Haunted by the ghost of you,_

Ellie could hear the leaves crunch under their heavy feet, they walked slowly, deliberately. Like they knew they had every chance of shooting a bullet through Ellie’s head and ransacking her bag and leaving her body for a horde of clickers to eat for lunch.

_Oh, take me back to the night we met._

_**DINA** _

  
They were going so fast, but it couldn’t have felt slower. Dina gripped Joel’s waist tightly, bunching the material of his heavy jacket in her fists.

Ellie Williams was fucking strong. The strongest person Dina had ever met. She was fearless. Ellie fucking Williams would face a pack of bloaters to protect those she loved if she had to. She was hardheaded, stubborn, and fierce. But there was more to her than that. Williams was also caring, nerdy, shy, and sweet. A side to Ellie that most of Jackson would never have the privilege of seeing. Dina thanked the stars that she was one of the few that Ellie seemed to deem worthy enough to see that side of her. That side of her that would blush a deep red when Dina would say something in a flirtatious manner, or the side of her that would ramble about Savage Starlight for hours at a time to anyone who would listen.

_When the night was full of terrors,_

_  
**ELLIE** _

They were close to the tree. So. Fucking. Close. Only a few more steps now. Her heart raced, Ellie swore she could hear her blood rushing in her veins. This was it. This was really fucking it. At least Dina had a chance, a good fucking chance. She never believed in a heaven or a hell, but she hoped her good deeds would outweigh her sins. Her countless, dark sins. Fat fucking chance of that. Ellie wondered if Jackson would feel her loss like it felt Eugene’s.

They were so close now.  
  
 _And your eyes were filled with tears,_

She blinked. Then they were in front of her, sick smirks on both men’s faces. She had miscalculated after all, there were seven. And Ellie had only taken out five.

“You fuckers..” Ellie growled, like an animal cornered by predators. She grit her jaw, raising her pistol, she took out one of two men. His body fell backwards, blood spurting from his neck.

_When you had not touched me yet,_

The last man made eye contact with Ellie and screamed profanities at her before they both raised their guns at the same time. Bullets flew in perfect unison.

_**DINA** _

  
The gun shots were loud. She knew they were almost there. Was Ellie the one shooting or had she been the one who was shot at? Fuck.

They were so fucking close. Joel and Dina could just make out the corpses of Japan and Shimmer, lying lifelessly in pools of their own blood. Dina could only hope Ellie hadn’t met the same fate.

_Oh, take me back to the night we met._

_**ELLIE** _

  
Her bullet lodged in the man’s head, his had lodged somewhere. Where? She knew her fate when the breast pocket of one of her famous flannels felt wet. Oh. That hurt. That really fucking hurt. Ellie reached up, gingerly placing her hand over her chest, only to pull it away again for her hand to be smeared in a deep red.

_I had all and then most of you,_

Ellie had always wondered if your life really flashed before your eyes moments before death. She now figured it was true when her favorite memories with Dina, Jesse, and Joel had started to replay.

_“What’s the downside to eating a clock?”  
_

_She shrugged._

_“It’s time consuming.”_

_“That’s so stupid.” A giggle.  
_

_Some and now none of you,_

_-_

_“Come on, El! Just one more shot!” Dina smiled that stupid, charming, infatuating smile. The night Ellie had her first drink._

_Take me back to the night we met,_

-

Her vision was blurry. It all hurt so fucking much.

**_DINA_ **

They were there. They swung off the horse so fast they didn’t even have time to tie it to a tree. That didn’t matter now.

“ELLIE!” Joel screamed, his voice heavy with desperation and fear for the girl he now considered to be his second daughter after all these years.  
  
“EL! WHERE ARE YOU?!” Dina called, hands cupped around her mouth as they searched. To her left, she saw a number of bodies in the vicinity of one tree. She approached slowly.

_I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,_

_**ELLIE** _

  
Dina and Joel’s voices were loud, calling for her. Was it a hallucination? Hopefully Dina was safe. She heard steps, slowly approaching her tree. Maybe that wasn’t the last hunter. Maybe she fucked up.

Her vision was fading in and out, and when she came to again, Dina was crouched in front of her, eyes wide with panic and screaming for Joel? Ellie couldn’t really tell, everything sounded like she was under water. Drowning.

_Haunted by the ghost of you,_

_**DINA** _

  
Ellie was there. Slumped against a tree, a large red stain on her once grey flannel. Ruined. She wouldn’t come back from this. Not this time. Why did she always have to be the fucking hero?

Joel was there, mumbling things that Dina really couldn’t focus on as she held pressure against Ellie’s chest, in vain.

Her eyes were barely open, the once bright green was now more of a dull mix of green and grey. She couldn’t fucking go out like this.

_**ELLIE** _

  
Dina and Joel were hovering above her, screaming for her to make it though this, so sit up and be okay. Be okay. She could only offer a weak and sad smile, head shaking slightly. This really was the end. Ellie fucking Williams had gone out a hero. Maybe that would be the headline if Jackson had a newspaper.

_**DINA** _

How could she smile when life was draining of her like she had a leak? Ellie’s eyes were closing.

“ _NO!_ Don’t you _fucking_ close your eyes, Williams! _Don’t you fucking dare!_ ” The shorter girl sobbed out, putting all her weight onto the gaping hole in Ellie’s chest. Ellie opened her mouth to speak, but couldn’t. Only shook her head.

Then her eyes closed.

Why did she always have to play hero?

_Take me back to the night we met._

**Author's Note:**

> So- that was depressing. Song was The Night We Met by Lord Huron.
> 
> Come bother me on Tumblr - @ifinsanitywassane


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